Travel

Aug 03

My adventure on the farm

I work as a CSAS marshal for Welsh Cycling and one of my colleague’s lives on a small holding not far from where I am staying in North Wales so we arranged for me to visit when I came up here. I rang him as soon as I arrived to explain whereabouts I was and it turned out I was only a twenty minute drive away.

rylandsheep

We agreed for me to visit on the Thursday and Peter would meet me in Ruthin carpark so that I could follow him home, because he lived in quite remote part of the area. I followed him through an area of “outstanding natural beauty” and we arrived shortly at his lovely small holding nestled in a lovely dell in the middle of the surrounding mountains. I parked the car and was greeted by Peter’s lovely wife Alison, after offering me a drink we quickly went to meet the animals who are pets to Alison and Peter, they keep them for love not for food and of course for the wool from the sheep.

First I met Dylan the sheep who had been with them for about 4 years after having adopted him from a local farmer who had found him abandoned in a field up the road. He quickly became part of the family until he started eating everything at which point he was moved outside, during his upbringing Alison and Peter bought another three lambs but this time they chose Ryland sheep because they particularly wanted to use their softer fleeces to spin their own wool, well Alison did, and they had done some research and it seemed that Ryland’s were friendly and easy to keep. They named them Rhiannon, Bethan and Megan, they were lying in the shade while I was there as it was quite hot for them, they hadn’t long been sheared and Alison was going to teach me how a fleece becomes a ball of wool.

After meeting both their horses, Rupert and Chas, we went inside the barn to see the fleeces that had just come off the sheep, they felt quite coarse and very oily, Alison explained that this is the Lanolin in the wool that makes the sheep waterproof. She said some people wash the fleece before spinning into wool but it wasn’t always necessary and some preferred to use it raw, anyway we went back in the house for Alison to show me the spinning wheel and the process.

I have to say it is a very long process and when you think about the way the Welsh women used to do this years ago, it must have been a full time job. It isn’t as easy as it looks, working the spinning wheel either. Alison first showed me the carding, which is where you take a pinch of the rough wool from the fleece and place it on one of the cards which are made of wood with very fine steel prongs protruding from the flat board, a bit like a flat hairbrush, you use two of these and brush one against the other to try and get the fibres all running the same way, you do this twice then form a roll which you place in the basket ready for spinning.

The spinning wheel has a treadle which is what spins the wheel so trying to treadle while feeding the fleece into the spinner was difficult and would take a lot of practice if you are to become proficient. Alison has been on a few courses, she bought the spinning wheel in an antique shop and it comes from New Zealand and is one of the best makes, she has made some things with the wool she has spun but the wool is grey in colour and if it needs to be dyed Alison would use natural dyes like blackcurrants, boiling the wool in a pot of blackcurrants is another long process. After the wool has been spun you then have to place the bobbin on a gadget called a lazy Kate with another bobbin and you feed both threads into the spinning wheel to produce two ply wool.

I managed to do the whole process while I was there for the day but very shabbily, obviously this is a skilled craft and there is no way you could learn to do it in a day but I was happy with the wool I produced, being very thick in parts, very thin in other parts and overly twisted in other parts but I crocheted with it, making a hanging thing for my car which I will decorate at a later stage, I didn’t do the dying process so have a nice light grey coloured wool. All in all I really enjoyed learning about the process and found it really interesting, I learned stuff about lambs that I didn’t know before and found the whole day fascinating.

As well as teaching me the process of spinning Alison and Peter made a luscious two course lunch for me, I was thoroughly spoiled; we had home-made Spanish Omelette with roasted peppers, home-made bread and salad with a home-made fruit salad to follow and a lovely glass of wine.

My adventure on the farm is definitely one of the highlights of my trip and I am especially grateful to Peter and Alison for their hospitality, it was such a wonderful day.

Jul 29

Castles Flint, Denbigh and Ruthin

By AngelaLewis | Travel | No Comments

Castles, Flint, Denbigh and Ruthin
I love Castles, I have always had an interest in them, coming from Pembrey which is close to magnificent Kidwelly castle, which I have visited on many occasions, first with my parents and then with an old uncle of mine as a child, also I have taken my children there for school castle projects as well as re-enactments. At one time we had family membership of CADW which meant free entry to all Welsh castles, we managed to visit quite a lot during the time of the membership which was probably round the time my eldest daughter had a castle project to do in school, it made the whole project a lot more interesting for her to visit the castles and I started to love them even more, each one for different reasons.

Up until this week I think my favourite had been Conway, my youngest daughter and I spent the day visiting Caernarvon and Conway one day whilst the older two practiced their singing for the annual Eisteddfod which was held on Anglesey that particular year. We took our video recorder and did a running commentary of our visit and had such fun, singing and joking with the camera, unfortunately someone at home taped over the video which I was really disappointed about.

The main reason Conway was one of my favourites was because it was so big and some of the town walls were remaining and we explored them all, spent quite a bit of time there, it was such an enjoyable day, anyway Denbigh Castle is very similar in that there are some of the town walls left and the position of the ruins is amazing, you can see all around a full 360 degrees and with each turn, beautiful views all around. It probably helped that I chose a glorious sunny day to visit; the sunshine always makes things better.

On the day I visited it was the most wonderful day, it started late, just before lunch time, with the intention of going to McDonalds to use the Wi-Fi so that I could pay final bills online, email about the CSAS jobs I am signed up for, as well as the emails for the kids etc. but when I went out the sun was shining, so I decided to go to Denbigh to find a McDonalds there (there wasn’t one). I ended up going to Denbigh castle, a magnificent castle which is now in ruins but plenty to see nonetheless, the views from its ramparts were wonderful, and it was so clear to see the countryside and mountains that surround Denbigh.

In Denbigh castle there was an option to go and visit the castle walls which were separate from the main castle and you needed a key to open the gate to the walk, I paid the deposit for the key and went for the walk, it only takes about 20 minutes but well worth it. The main reason you need a key is because the walls overlook the houses’ private gardens so they keep it relatively private by locking it and only allowing people who are interested to pay a deposit for the key and take the walk, rather than leave it open and possibly get youngsters hanging around on the walls and annoying the house owners.

The current Denbigh Castle was built on the site of a former Welsh stronghold held by Dafydd Ap Gruffydd, the brother of Llywelyn Ap Gruffydd. The Welsh castle originally belonged to Llywelyn the Great. In its early days ownership went back and forth between the English and Welsh, Edward 1st conquered the final welsh prince Dafydd Ap Gruffydd in 1282 and had the Welsh castle torn down and Henry de Lacy rebuilt the castle, but it was taken over by the Welsh again in 1294. More fighting ensued and the castle was finally finished in 1304. In the 1600’s the castle was deliberately ruined to prevent its use as a Royalist stronghold and it was left to decay until CADW took responsibility for its upkeep in modern times.

I do believe that all ruins are pretty similar but there is always a special ambience about each place, in Denbigh it’s the best place for a castle to be built because of the amount of surrounding countryside you can see from the turrets. I have visited a lot of castle ruins in Wales and in other countries like Macchu Picchu in Peru and they all have a special peace and tranquillity about them. There is however a huge difference in the way MP was built compared to the castles, the stones used in MP were much bigger and the precision with which they were joined was meticulous, in fact still a bit of a mystery, which is worthy of another blog post at a later date.

Jul 27

Orange Blossom Steam Train

By AngelaLewis | Travel | No Comments

I wanted to visit an Abbey which the man in Denbigh castle told me about and it was on a route that I wanted to travel anyway; it was through the Horseshoe Pass and on a road just before Llangollen. It was late afternoon as I drove through the Pass and I stopped to eat my late lunch of fresh cherries and admire the beautiful views, the time was about 3.30pm and I thought that maybe the Abbey would close soon so I decided to go to Llangollen anyway as I have been many times before and love the place, it’s a beautiful village where they hold the International Eisteddfod every year which is a huge competition celebrating the arts.

Examples of the yarn bombing which was on display in the main street!

Llangollen satisfies all the senses, it’s a beautiful place to look at, with quaint little village houses and shops all built around the river Dee, with an old Mill serving delicious food, providing wonderful aromas as you walk past and onto the main bridge over the river Dee adorned with flags of all nationalities, which connects the two parts of Llangollen. You can always hear singing as you enter the town, it could be from the Maes up at the Eisteddfod or the choirs singing in the local hostelries after the competition or in this case a band singing on the station. The musical theme is so prevalent there you can almost touch the music in the air; you can definitely feel the vibrations.

I went to investigate what was happening at the station and was told I was just in time for the Orange blossom steam train which was part of the Fringe Festival and there would be music on the platform until the train departed then another band singing on the train with dancing and wine, up to Carrog station where we all got off the train and listened to another duo singing a mixture of English and Welsh folk songs. On the train on the way back I decided to stay in the carriage where the band were playing, a couple of young lads from the local area called Steffan and Matthew, they played guitar and drums and sang country and western songs much to the delight of the passengers who sang along and danced their way back to Llangollen station where there was more music for you to enjoy on the platform, which was more of a typical Country and Western theme with the lead singer even wearing dungarees.

It was the most wonderful train journey I have taken, on an old steam train called Foxcote Manor driven by a young blonde girl with a punky look about her and soot covered face but from her smile looked as if she was loving every minute of her job! The carriages were also very old with plush upholstered seats which all trains used to have years ago, the seats were like sitting in a booth and very snug and comfortable with some carriages having compartments like the Orient Express. It was a slow meandering trip through the Welsh countryside until we reached our scenic destination and alighted to listen to the music. People of all ages had joined the train at Llangollen, from babies to the elderly all joined together by this wonderful musical celebration of Welsh and American culture.

I met some lovely people on board, a lovely couple from Boston Lincs who had just celebrated their 50th Wedding anniversary in Llangollen, a couple of friends who lived locally and did this trip every year just because they loved it and a couple of lads who were the entertainment on the return journey, they probably were on the outward journey too but I stayed in my carriage during the first half admiring the views. Steffan, one of the guys in the band told me about a singing village called Rhos which I am going to try and visit as part of my adventures. Apparently it is a very small village with many choirs and you can join in the singing with them, so I will definitely look into this, as I love singing.

Jul 25

Meeting my hosts for Thailand

By AngelaLewis | Travel | No Comments

As I have decided to travel by using the Helpx website, which is a site for volunteers to exchange work for board and lodge with hosts, the last few weeks since I made my decision has been dominated by reading the profiles of and corresponding with some wonderful potential hosts who are willing to accommodate me from July 15th which will be my first travel adventure.

So far I will be going to Flintshire in North Wales to help a family with an artisan food business on the 15th July for a month then I will be back in Kidwelly which is near my hometown for a couple of weeks to tie up loose ends, see the family etc. before I spend the next couple of months visiting a lovely family in Galway, Ireland and then on to Scotland.

The beautiful church at Curry Rivel where my hosts UK home is.

But the most exciting adventure I have is in Thailand in November, even though I am really looking forward to the other positions it doesn’t feel as exciting because I have been to these countries before but not seen enough hence the return. Anyway to get back to the Thailand job, the lovely Julie contacted me after reading my profile and realised that I might be suitable to work for her and her lovely partner Marcus on their Ultra Marathon in Thailand.

cavelodgethailand

My home while in Thailand.

When I first found Helpx I sent quite a few messages to hosts in the UK just to test the water but when I had the message off Julie about Thailand it sort of made my mind up. I have worked on many similar events in the past and loved every one of them but to do the same in Thailand is a dream for me. So we corresponded and arranged for me to go to Somerset which is where they live to meet them and speak about the job and what it entails. I had pretty much decided that I was definitely going to do it after speaking to Julie on the phone and realising that we had a lot in common and I could really fit in. But when I went to see them it confirmed my thoughts immediately.

I arrived late at their house due to meeting with an old friend prior to our arranged meeting. My friend used to live near me and we were close friends for many years before she moved away, we stayed in touch via phone, Facebook and email but hadn’t seen each other for almost ten years but the years just melted away when we got together and it was as if we had never been apart, consequently we ended up chatting for hours at lunch and the restaurant didn’t have good wifi or phone reception, so I couldn’t contact Julie and Marcus to explain what had happened, anyway I really regretted turning up late although Julie and Marcus were very understanding at least to my face.

cavelodgethailand2

When I got there they had two helpx people staying from California in the USA, so I met them too and we all had a wonderful evening meal and chatted until late about travelling, the job I would be doing and our lives in general. I just felt so at home with them talking about all the adventures I was due to have and which they had already had.

The place they lived was called Curry Rivel in Somerset and they were very interesting people who had built a life for themselves around their travelling. Julie and Marcus met in Chiang Mai 23 years ago after both being dumped by previous partners (their words) they spent some time travelling alone and then decided to travel together. They also have a retail business which they take to festivals in the UK and have been doing for 20 years and then they spend their winters in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. Marcus is an ex runner and has run ultra-marathons himself before knee injuries curbed his athleticism. Julie has a passion for horses and helps people to train their horses especially those who are hard to handle.

ultramarathonthailand

Last year for the first time they organised an ultra-marathon in Chiang Mai, Thailand, at a place they stayed when they lived there many years ago, it was a huge success after much worry and stress and this year it will be in its second year www.thailandultramarathon.com. I will be in charge of one of the waterstops. There are two events called the Beauty and the Beast, the Beauty is 50KM and the Beast is 100KM and it’s very tough, it’s in a very hilly part of Thailand. It’s not just about the event itself, as a thank you for letting them have the event running through many tribal villages, Julie and Marcus’s company visit local schools prior to the event and hold craft sessions with the children to try and involve them in the event. Part of my role will be to visit these schools and take part in the craft activities with the children which I am really looking forward to. The whole event and volunteer role that I will be taking on will last for about three weeks which will be a fantastic time to spend in Thailand. I am hoping to hire a scooter and spend a few days sightseeing all over the area before moving on to Cambodia or Vietnam and Bali.

schoolkidsthailand

My visit to Somerset proved to me that I definitely want to do this, these people are on my wave length and I feel at home in their company, they know so much about travelling and have given me many tips already and have put me in touch with a few people who can possibly employ me for money whilst I am on my travels. Life has a way of making your dreams a reality if you just see the opportunity, it doesn’t always come in the way you might think but when it comes grab it with both hands.

ultrmarathininmist

For more information on the Thailand Ultra Marathon go to www.thailandultramarathon.com

Jul 23

St Winefride’s Well, Holywell

By AngelaLewis | Travel | No Comments

St Winefride’s Well Holywell

On my first day exploring I decided to go to a place very close to where I was staying in Afonwen called Holywell, my host Nicola told me about it and said it is named the Lourdes of Wales. I have never heard of this before so was very intrigued, once I was told I could have the rest of the day and the next few to myself, I knew I had to go there, I first went to Mold to do what little shopping I needed, then went to Holywell on the way back from Mold. It wasn’t easily signposted but once I found it, the building struck me first as very beautiful, Gothic, very ornate and obviously well kept.

I found a place to park just opposite the church which houses St Winefrides Well and went across to see how much it was to go in; there was a little gift shop at the entrance with a small museum area telling you the story of St Winefrides Well. It was only £1 to go in so I decided to take look at the museum room and go for a walk over to the Well, I could see a lot of people milling about across the grass verge and knew that was where the Well must have been, but first I wanted to read a little more about the history of the place.

According to legend St Winefride’s Well first appeared at the spot where her alleged rapist Caradog cut off her head with a sword. Restored to life at the prayers of her uncle St Bueno, Winefride lived as a nun until her second death 22 years later. She was a 7^th century Welsh woman who had been venerated as a saint ever since the moment of her death, since that time her Well has been a place of pilgrimage and healing; the only such place in Britain with a continuous history of public pilgrimage for over 13 centuries.

It is believed that thousands of people have been cured after bathing in the Well over the centuries and the museum houses many wooden crutches which were discarded after being healed at the Well.

The present Shrine building is a glorious 2 storey Late Perpendicular Gothic building erected in the first year of the 16^th century and is unique in the world. It is a Grade 1 Listed Building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The Well precinct also houses an Interpretive Exhibition setting forth the story of the saint and her shrine in detail, and the Victorian former custodians’ house has been converted to house a museum of the Pilgrimage.

The Well is described by some as one of the Seven Wonders of wales.

I looked around the museum and read the literature to get a feel for the history of St Winefride’s and then crossed the grass verge where I could see everyone milling about, I noticed a small room which said changing room on the door and I hadn’t realised on entry that you could actually still bathe in the waters of the Well for healing purposes. I walked over to the crowd of people who were all changed and taking turns to bathe in the Well and carried on past them into the Shrine, I paid my donation and lit a candle, where (if you are religious) you can then sit and say your hail Marys and Our Fathers or whatever your prayers are depending on your religion. There were a few people at the Shrine in prayer so I respectfully went back outside to speak with one of the members of the group who were bathing, he told me they were from London although of possibly Taiwanese descent and this was their second time visiting the Well and the people who were bathing were definitely feeling the benefit from their earlier dip, (it is said that you must bathe three times in the Well for you to be completely healed). There was a young girl with Lupus who had been before and was now off the drugs given to her for the disease initially and she was starting to feel better. I also spoke to a German lady there who was just observing and she told me that she knew someone who had had cancer and bathed in the Well and was completely cured. It all seemed very interesting.

The man I spoke to told me how it should be done, he pointed out two crosses etched into the stone around the Well and there was an iron railing running along the inside of the Well which was for holding onto as you bathed, he told me to hold on to the rail between the two crosses and kneel on the stone below, fully immersing your body in the water and to do this three times in quick succession. I really wasn’t sure what to do as I hadn’t come prepared to go in the water, I came out of interest but it just seemed an opportunity not to be missed, the man I spoke to was very encouraging and told me he had arthritis and it was healing and that I should give it a go even though I was fully clothed. The more I watched the others the more I felt the need to go in, I wasn’t that far from home and I had a blanket in the car that I could wrap myself in once out of my wet clothes.

While I was making my mind up and talking to other members of the group about their experience another group of Irish people came to the Well and had bought empty bottles from the gift shop which they filled with the holy water, they also all decided they were going in fully clothed so that convinced me to give it a go, I videoed this Irish girl and she took photos of me while I went in, it was absolutely the most freezing water I think I have ever bathed in and I have been in the sea on Boxing day in Wales, but it was very invigorating, I swear when I came out I felt wonderful, could have been because the sun came out as I left the water which made me feel very warm and I definitely felt like something special had just happened. I’m not sure if it had done any healing but I’m definitely going back another twice before I leave North Wales.

The Shrine and Well are open throughout the year except Christmas day and Boxing Day. 1 April – 30 September, Sunday to Saturday 9am to 5pm. 1 October – 31 March 10am till 4pm. If visiting it’s best to check times of museum openings before you go. There is a daily service at the shrine, following an unbroken tradition first established over 100 years ago which the public can take part in throughout the Pilgrimage season (Pentecost to last Sunday in September). Bathing is only allowed at certain times so it is best to check before you go; organised pilgrimages take place annually there with many different organisations

Jul 21

Mold Market

By AngelaLewis | Travel | No Comments

I was told on Saturday morning to take the next few days to explore, but first I needed to get some fresh food in so I decided to go to Mold which was about 15 miles away, Afonwen, the little village where I am staying is in between Denbigh and Mold. I needed a big supermarket but also decided to explore Mold market for something different. The weather wasn’t very good, in fact it was very drizzly, which meant I got drenched just going to Aldi, anyway I took a walk to the market as I needed a couple of things. I don’t really like shopping but I like little markets which have lots of different things for sale made locally.

Mold market is one of the oldest markets in North Wales and still has a livestock market which has been in operation since 1879 which auctions the best of Welsh lamb and beef every Monday and Friday morning. The street markets are every Wednesday and Saturday from 9am to 3.30pm and take place on the High Street and Daniel Owen Square, Farmers markets where you can try a range of freshly produced food and drink, is held in St Mary’s church Hall on king Street and is held on every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, this would be my favourite market where you get to meet the local farmers who have produced the food and drink and the local craftspeople who are selling their wares. Organic produce is a speciality in Mold and well worth trying. As well as all the individual markets, Mold also has an indoor market which is open throughout the week.

Mold is proud to be the first town in Wales to be accepted into the Cittaslow movement which is an international network of towns where quality of life matters. Cittaslow grew from the Slow Food movement which advocates that our food should taste good, be produced in a clean way which respects the environment, human health and animal welfare, and that food producers are paid a fair wage. www.slowfood.org.uk

The food and drink festival is a two day event held every September in Mold and is a great place to visit if you like traditionally made food and drink.

I will definitely be coming back on the first Saturday in August to take a look in the Farmers market and try the local produce for myself.

Jun 02

Adventures Galore

By AngelaLewis | Travel | No Comments

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to travel the world, I have never really known how I would do it, over the years I have had mad ideas to cycle around the world and also read the book by Rosie Swale Pope “Just a little run around the world” a story about her 5 year run around the world which made me think that anything is possible.

When I was in my teens I messed up at school and ended up taking evening classes and becoming a mature student in college after I had had my first child, to try and better myself. Travel was not an option then because of my daughter and my studies but was always there in the back of my mind as a far away dream, one day, maybe one day. I went on to have another 4 children who became my world, my dream of having a family was always bigger than my travel dream.

During the time spent bringing up my children, my husband and I talked about travelling many times, in different ways, we discussed taking the children and going to live in France, we talked about taking them to Australia and hiring a camper van to see it all, we even talked about taking a whole year out with the children and sharing exciting far away places with them but there never seemed to be a right time, when it seemed ok to take one child out of school, another had exams, in the end we decided to opt for exciting holidays with our brood.

We took them camping in France, Italy and Spain, went on the Santander ferry which was great fun, driving through the countries which was always part of the excitement, seeing the real towns and villages not just the touristy parts. We took them to Iceland, New York for New Years Eve and then Niagara Falls all in one holiday.

We did the obligatory Florida Disney holiday and got caught up in Hurricane Charlie, the first category 5 hurricane in ten years. Sharing those times with the children will always be special to me, however, now that my children are all grown up and have lives of their own, what becomes of me??

meditatng My youngest son is about to join the army, leaving me child less, for the last few years I have travelled on my own to various countries for study and for fun, my husband and I split up 8 years ago and during that time I have been to China, staying in Shanghai, Beijing and Nanjing to study at a Chinese Medicine hospital in Nanjing. I have enjoyed an all expenses paid trip to Dubai as part of a choir to sing at the Rugby Sevens tournament, which was being filmed for a tv programme called “Codi Canu” meaning Get up and sing. Bucharest, Rome, Egypt have also been wonderful places to visit as well as special places in the UK including the Highlands of Scotland.

For many years I have joked that when my youngest leaves I am off to travel the world, never really knowing if I would, because I never really had enough money. Last year due to illness I lost my business and all the money I had was in the business so my chances were slimmer and my dream was slipping further and further away from me. Maybe one day?

What to do now all my children are young independent people, nothing ever prepares you for the massive hole in your life when your children become their own people, when they were children they were mine but now they belong to themselves, I was merely borrowing them.

Jun 02

My first Helpx hosting

By AngelaLewis | Travel | No Comments

I arrived in Afonwen, my first Helpx host on July 15^th very late at night, having mistimed the travelling. I was greeted by Nicola and Bim of Bim’s Kitchen, an artisan food company, and shown to my cute little flat within the premises but away from the main house. The main residence is an old pub called Pwll Gwyn which has listed building status, when it was bought by Nicola and Bim a couple of years ago it needed a lot of work to get it up and running as a restaurant with letting rooms.

Nicola asked me to meet her at 10am the next morning where she went over my main tasks for the next month. She also explained that her and Bim would be going to the Royal Welsh show at Builth Wells on Sunday to promote their products, they were supposed to have member of staff to help them at the show but he had let them down at the last minute so they both needed to go, which meant I would be left to my own devices for a few days, they would be back on Friday, which I relished, having already thought about what adventure I would go on first.

My tasks for the next month are mainly to get one of the rooms ready for letting out on Airbnb and help to make table runners ready for the restaurant. Also I will be helping pack their produce ready for market. But all that will start next week.

Nicola and Bim started their business while living in London, when the business quickly took off they needed larger premises and in London the prices of larger premises was restrictive so they began their search for more amenable premises which could have been anywhere, all depending on the actual place itself and what it had to offer, Pwll Gwyn had it all, mainly a fully functioning commercial kitchen which was exactly what they needed to make their African themed sauces.

As mentioned previously it is an old pub but due to previous people making alterations that were not in keeping with listed building status, this meant that changes needed to be made before it could be opened as a pub again so Nicola and Bim have decided to just use the kitchen for their food business and to use the letting rooms to bring in some extra money, which were mainly good and needed no work doing, they are also going to section off part of the pub and just use the restaurant as a pop up restaurant which means special nights will be arranged and advertised with set menus which people will have to book prior to the event.

The business has been run from the pub for the last two years and is still very much in its infancy, their sauces are sold in small delicatessens all over the UK and direct to the public through the festivals they attend and via their website. www.bimskitchen.com

I am very much looking forward to playing my own small part in building their business and in such a beautiful part of the world as North Wales. I am hoping to try their products while I am here too, although not the very spicy ones.

Jun 01

My last adventure with the boys

By AngelaLewis | Travel | No Comments

During the time I ran my business I was a member of BNI (Business Networking International) for more than five years. We met every Friday morning at the Norton House hotel in beautiful Mumbles for a business meeting to pass referrals and learn more about how to promote our businesses and get more customers. For a few years during my time with them I was the only woman in the group so used to call myself one of the boys, which stuck over the years.

Every year we have a get together to enjoy our local culture and scenery and have a social drink or two. We have been going to the Gower peninsula for the last few years as it is such a beautiful place. We hire a mini bus and travel throughout the whole of the Gower admiring the views from various watering holes along the way.

As part of my travels I intend visiting as many beautiful places as is possible but it’s not always just about the scenery, it’s about the people you share it with, I love the company of my friends from the BNI, they are such a friendly bunch who have become firm friends over the years and I will miss them when I am off on my travels so I wanted to spend one last trip with them over the Gower so I could marvel at the wonderful places on our doorstep.

One of my favourite places in the world is Rhossili, it has been voted in the top ten beaches all over the world in the last few years and it is truly astounding, as you park your car in the huge carpark close to the end of Worms Head you can’t see the sight that awaits you, but once out of the car and walking towards the beach it hits you, the sheer beauty that is Rhossili, miles of beach where surfers love to enjoy their sport, hills high enough for the brilliant brightly coloured paragliders to meet and fly.

A haven for all kinds of sporting activities, including hill climbing, horse riding, hiking and general strolling as well as the already mentioned paragliding, surfing, swimming etc. There are wonderful cliffside walks, and a scenic walk over to the Worms Head which is a peninsula in itself filled with many species of birdlife and sea life animals such as seals and I think a dolphin or two have been spotted just off the coast at some point. You have to be very careful with your timings as you need to walk over just as the tide goes out to uncover the walkway and you need to make it back before the tide comes back in and cuts you off. (I secretly always wanted to be cut off with my tent so I could sleep on the Worm and enjoy the peace and tranquility for one night but it’s not really allowed). As you approach the point where you cross over there is a sign which clearly tells you what time you need to come back to make it before the cut-off.

Near the path down to the beach there is a lovely little seaside café with the best views over the beach towards Llangennith and the mainland and also a traditional hotel called the Worms Head hotel where you can stay a few nights or just call in for food and wine and sit in the beer garden and watch the sun go down marveling at the most wonderful sunsets ever. In summer it is busy with lots of tourists mingling with all the locals but in the winter the weather casts a different light over Rhossili and the winds and rain make it a wildly wonderful walking place, after your walk you can return to the hotel where they have a roaring log fire and you can enjoy the food, wine and hospitality, not forgetting to chat to the local friendly characters.

Every year that we have organised our tour of the Gower the weather has been kind to us and this year was no different, the sun was shining which always makes for a more enjoyable time. We had many laughs and visited many pubs but my favourite will always be the Worms Head hotel. We laughed and drank in the beer garden while enjoying the wonderful views, with maybe a little too much wine.

Rhossili will always hold a special place in my heart because of the time I have spent there over the years. I have paraglided there with the paragliding club, hiked from Port Eynon to Rhossili along the cliff tops with my eldest daughter, hiked over to the worm with my boys when we were camping there one summer, we also went swimming in the lovely beaches around the coastline and body boarded at Rhossili beach. I have cycled there on my own on many occasions and with my friends from the best cycling club in Bynea. When I was ill last year my youngest daughter took me there for a visit and we had a short walk along the cliffs admiring the scenery and watching the sheep graze so close to the cliff edge.

I am lucky I live in such a wonderful place where my adventures started a long time ago, even though I am now off on the adventure of a lifetime, leading up to this point the adventures I have had have been many, which I will talk about during my travels.

My adventure on the farm

Castles Flint, Denbigh and Ruthin

Orange Blossom Steam Train

Meeting my hosts for Thailand

St Winefride’s Well, Holywell

Mold Market

Adventures Galore

My first Helpx hosting

My last adventure with the boys

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